Meeting Point – Ben Thanh Market

Your culinary experience begins at the designated meeting point:

West Gate – Gate No. 5 of Ben Thanh Market, Phan Chu Trinh Street, Ho Chi Minh City.

Please arrive at the confirmed meeting time.

Depending on the booked arrangement, hotel pick-up by car or taxi may also be available. The exact transfer arrangement should be confirmed before the activity.

Meet Your Cooking Instructor

Meet your English-speaking cooking instructor or assistant, who will introduce the day’s program and the dishes you will prepare.

Before entering the kitchen, you will first discover one of the most important parts of Vietnamese cooking – choosing fresh ingredients.

Local Market Experience

Head to a nearby traditional local market with your instructor.

Walk among colorful stalls filled with vegetables, tropical fruits, aromatic herbs, spices, noodles, sauces, meat, seafood, and other ingredients used in Vietnamese cuisine.

Your instructor will explain how to recognize fresh ingredients and introduce you to products that may be unfamiliar to international visitors.

Experience how local residents shop and interact with market vendors while learning more about the important role markets play in everyday Vietnamese life.

Depending on the program, you may also have the opportunity to help select and purchase ingredients for your cooking lesson.

Return to the Cooking Venue

After completing the market visit, return to the restaurant or cooking-class venue.

Wash and prepare the fresh ingredients before beginning your hands-on cooking experience.

Your instructor will introduce the utensils, seasonings, ingredients, and techniques required for each recipe.

Hands-On Vietnamese Cooking Class

Now it is time to start cooking.

Follow your instructor step by step as you prepare a selection of Vietnamese dishes, with an emphasis on traditional southern flavors and techniques.

Depending on the scheduled menu, you may learn skills such as:

• Preparing fresh Vietnamese herbs and vegetables

• Making traditional dipping sauces

• Balancing sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and savory flavors

• Preparing Vietnamese-style marinades

• Cooking with traditional sauces and seasonings

• Presenting dishes in Vietnamese style

The exact menu may change according to the cooking school’s schedule, season, and ingredient availability.

Enjoy Your Homemade Vietnamese Lunch

Once your dishes are ready, sit down and enjoy the results of your work.

Taste the different dishes you prepared and experience the flavors of Vietnamese cuisine from a completely new perspective.

This is also a great opportunity to ask your instructor additional questions about Vietnamese ingredients, cooking methods, and recipes.

Meal: Lunch – prepared during the cooking class

End of Cooking Experience

After lunch, your Saigon cooking experience concludes.

Depending on your booked package, you may return independently or use a pre-arranged transfer back to your hotel.